The stories keep getting worse out of Torrington. Four different teenage boys affiliated with the Torrington High football program were charged in February and March with statutory rape. On the heels of that, some of their classmates took to social media to further humiliate the victims. And now there’s this:

Another incident surfaced in Litchfield Superior Court this week in which three other boys — two of whom were affiliated football team at the time — are charged with the 2011 gang-rape of an intoxicated 13-year-old girl. The Register Citizen reports details of the allegations unflinchingly and graphically in this harrowing read.

Continue reading "OP-ED | No More Excuses for Sexual Assault" »

Tags: Torrington, rape, Rape Culture, Steubenville, University of Connecticut, football, Susan Bigelow, dh

According to the arrest warrants, a 13-year-old girl said “no.” Not just once. Multiple times. But an 18-year-old football player had sex with her anyway.

By the law, by any normal, decent person’s standards, that’s called rape. It doesn’t matter if she snuck out of her house at 3 a.m.; it doesn’t matter if she smoked pot for the first time; it doesn’t matter if that 18-year-old football player plied her with alcohol first. She said “no.” More than once. And when a girl says “No, I don’t want to have sex,” then a man is supposed to respect that.

Otherwise, there’s a term for him: Rapist.

Continue reading "OP-ED | Rape Cases Highlight Need for Important Conversations" »

Tags: Torrington, Stuebenville, Yale, Republican American, Rape Culture, Cyberbullying, Sarah Darer Littman, dh

(Updated 4:55 p.m.) The largest municipal lobby in the state isn’t giving up its fight against Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget. In fact, its lobbying efforts have only increased as a deadline for the legislature’s budget looms.

Continue reading "Mayors Keep Pressure On Lawmakers To Maintain Funding" »

Tags: CCM, Jim Finley, Ryan Bingham, Betsy Paterson, Brendan Sharkey, budget, dh

Two Torrington High School football players have been accused of sexual assault. But online, who’s getting the blame? Who’s being bullied? Two 13-year-old girls. If this story sounds familiar, it’s because it happens all the time. It has to end.

There aren’t a lot of details about what happened because the cases are sealed, but what we do know is chilling: two Torrington football players stand accused of the second-degree sexual assault of two 13-year-old victims. What’s heartbreaking, and what’s depressingly expected, is that students from the Torrington public schools took to social media to harass, taunt, and bully the victims. Here’s a smattering of what Register Citizen reporter Jessica Glenza was able to uncover:

“I wanna know why there’s no punishment for young hoes,” said one Twitter user. “If it takes two then why is only one in trouble? Ha,” said another. “[S]ticking up for a girl who wanted the D and then snitched? have a seat pleaseeee,” wrote someone else. “You destroyed two people’s life,” someone accused her. It goes on like this. There are almost certainly a lot more that were either deleted, posted elsewhere, or not found.

Continue reading "OP-ED | Victim Bullying in Torrington a Shameful Example of Rape Culture" »

Tags: rape, sexual assault, Torrington, Steubenville, football, Susan Bigelow, dh

Former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty emerged victorious in a close contest against veteran state Sen. Andrew Roraback on Tuesday, outpolling Roraback 52 to 48 percent and helping the Democratic Party hold onto all five of Connecticut’s congressional seats.

Continue reading "Cities Give Esty Edge Over Roraback In 5th District" »

Tags: Elizabeth Esty, Andrew Roraback, 5th District, money, Super PACs, dh

A moderate Republican, Sen. Andrew Roraback, fended off his more conservative opponents to take the Republican nomination in the 5th Congressional District.

Continue reading "Roraback Fends Off More Conservative Opponents" »

Tags: Andrew Roraback, Mark Greenberg, Justin Bernier, Lisa Wilson-Foley 5th District, primary 2012, Torrington